


Fruitless

by Lanner



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2019-04-30 12:55:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14497428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lanner/pseuds/Lanner
Summary: After 10 years, Garmadon is freed from the Underworld and goes in search of his son.





	Fruitless

**Author's Note:**

> Garmacest Week day 5: Quarrels/Bickering
> 
> there's no garmacest in this fic though. this one is just a bit of a platonic what-if scenario.
> 
> i dont even know what this is anymore. this was originally like 3 other stories but it kept changing as i kept writing and yknow what, im done. take it as is because i've had enough lmao

     The night was cold, still, and bright. The full moon lit up the snow in an ethereal glow. Below the cliffside, Jamanakai village slumbered, a scant few lanterns flickering in the windows. All was silent.

  
     Lord Garmadon frowned from his vantage point. This was finally it. After nearly a decade of imprisonment in the underworld, he had finally escaped, and his first order of business was finding his son.

  
     His skullkin scouts had reported that Lloyd was listed as a student of a boarding school, but he had been expelled years ago. Furious, Lord Garmadon had gone and interrogated every teacher and student in the building who so much as reacted to the mention of his son’s name. But no one had known where he went. They had kicked Lloyd out and he simply never come back.

  
     Garmadon left, razing the building to the ground after him.

  
     He had gone to find Misako next. He was angry and confused as to why she had left their son in that terrible school, but if Lloyd were anywhere, surely he would be with his mother. He would have his family again.

  
     But again, Lloyd wasn’t there. Lord Garmadon found Misako working in a museum in Ninjago City, blissfully consumed in her archaeological hobby and unconcerned with the whereabouts of their son. She said she hadn’t seen him since she left him at Darkley’s. Garmadon’s hopes of regaining his family were shattered. Misako, the woman of his dreams and the love of his life, had abandoned their son. The son that had consumed Garmadon’s thoughts every waking moment of his banishment and given him hope for the future in his dreams wasn’t even a spare thought in her mind.

  
     Everything he did, he had done for his son. And she had abandoned the both of them from the day Wu had felled him.  
Garmadon, disappointed and heartbroken, had left her at the museum, unable to even acknowledge her anymore, and moved onto his last potential answer: Wu.

  
     Wu wasn’t surprised to see him. After his initial escape attempt was foiled by the young ninja a decade ago, Wu had been expecting his brother to return sooner or later.

  
     He had greeted Garmadon with tea and some philosophical nonsense, but Garmadon couldn’t bother to get anything more than irritated at the old man’s antics. Every day that passed without any sign of his son was wearing on him greatly.

  
     Luckily, Wu had picked up on this, and let Garmadon air his grievances. Wu remarked that two of his ninja lived not too far away, in Jamanakai village, and that they occasionally told him of a boy that matched Lloyd's description, but he was often causing trouble and never stuck around long.

  
     So here he was, looking down into the valley of the village, hesitating. It wasn’t that he was afraid of another false lead; It was that now that he was almost reunited with his son, he found he didn’t know what he was going to say. So he stood, in the cold and the snow, and observed the village whilst his tumultuous thoughts consumed him.

  
     Suddenly, there was movement. It was quick and blended in with the snow, but Garmadon’s otherworldly predatory eyesight easily locked on to the target. It was Lloyd. His face was hidden behind a pale mask and his eyes weren’t visible from this angle, but something thrummed in Garmadon’s core and he _knew_.

  
     He exhaled shakily, a soft “Lloyd…” escaping on his breath in a puff of mist.

  
     Down below, Lloyd flitted between buildings, peering in the windows as he passed them by, as if scouting for something.   
Finally, one house seemed right, and Lloyd silently slipped open the window and crept inside.

  
     Garmadon couldn’t see what was happening in there, but he was shocked to see Lloyd breaking and entering into someone’s home. This couldn’t be right.

  
     Lloyd reappeared some short minutes later, a pouch at his waist that had previously gone unnoticed now bulging full with something.

  
     Garmadon frowned. His son was a thief? It couldn’t be; This wasn’t the life he wanted for his son. His son was meant for great things, good things. What had happened while he’d been gone?

  
     He could see Lloyd scaling the village wall and escaping into the surrounding mountain plains. He followed.

  
     He caught up to Lloyd not far away, just in time to see him seemingly disappear into the snow. Nearing the spot however revealed a small fissure in smooth, carved stone. Garmadon’s eyes narrowed. A Serpentine tomb. He’d know the sight of one anywhere. And if memory served him correctly, this was the tomb of the Hypnobrai.

  
     While he was immediately afraid for Lloyd's life, a part of him was relieved to have an explanation. Surely Lloyd was under their control. That would explain his actions.

  
     But as he followed Lloyd into the tomb, reaching the cavernous hall, he found the place deserted. It was completely empty, save for a ramshackle campground amidst the snow and crystal where Lloyd had removed his face scarf and was emptying his bag of pilfered goods.

  
     Garmadon took a step forwards, not bothering to hide his presence anymore. The snow crunched under his heel.

  
     The young blond man stiffened in alarm and whipped around, knife drawn from its sheath at his hip and poised to attack, before he realized who it was that has entered his hideout. Impossible!

  
     “Garmadon…?” He gasped.

  
     “Lloyd… my son!” Garmadon said in awe and relief, rushing forward and embracing him. After all those years, he could finally hold his son in his arms again, the warmth of his body chasing away the haunting chill of death that hounded the dark Lord’s soul.

  
     Lloyd, startled, only stood there, stock still in his father's arms. Then he came back to himself and scowled and pushed Garmadon away.

  
     “Why are you here?” He demanded, taking a step back and raising his blade defensively.

  
     Garmadon frowned, confused by Lloyd's reaction.

     “Lloyd, its me, your father-”

     “I know who you are! Why are you here!?”

  
     Lloyd's eyes shone in the firelight of his small campfire, which seemed to flare and spit sparks in tune with his ire. The blade shook as he gestured wildly.

     “You left me! Why’d you come back now, after so long? I waited for you! I looked for you! I needed you!” He shouted.

     Years of hurt and fear and loss, long buried in the recesses of his mind, began to leak out in the form of hot, angry tears.

     “Why are you back?! Why’d- why’d you leave…?”

  
     Lord Garmadon stared at his son, a guilt and regret stronger than the sea filling his heart.

     “Son, I’m so sorry, I never wanted to leave you! Not a day has gone by where you haven’t been in my thoughts. You kept me strong, I never forgot about you for an instant. Lloyd, you are my whole world, and I’m sorry. I missed you so much.”

  
     Tears spilled down Lloyd's face as his face scrunched up in anguish.

     “I did too… but I don’t need you anymore now! I can take care of myself, and I’m doing fine on my own!” He hiccupped.

  
     Garmadon looked sadly at Lloyd, alone, living in squalor in a tomb in the wilds. He was too thin and clearly didn’t get the opportunity to bathe on a regular basis.

  
     “You’re not fine, Lloyd. Anyone can see that. Please, son, what has happened to you? Why did you rob that home tonight?”

     Lloyd flinched at having been caught.

     “Why do you live in a tomb? At least grant me your company for one night and tell me of your life. Clearly I’ve missed more than I thought.”

  
     “It’s none of your business! Go away!”

  
     “Lloyd-”

  
     “ _Get out!!_ ”

  
     In his rising panic and agitation, Lloyd instinctively threw his held item at Garmadon in an attempt to make him back off. It was only the split second after he felt it leave his hand that he realized it was his knife that he had thrown.

  
     The cave was silent. Lloyd's hands flew to his mouth, stifling a gasp as fresh tears continued to fall.

  
     Garmadon had been too shocked to react to Lloyd's attack. He looked down at the weapon stuck in his collarbone, a dark violet ooze bleeding from the wound. It really didn’t hurt more than a dull ache – his demonic body far more durable than a humans – but the horrified look on his son's face did.

  
     Lloyd was trembling, and began to stammer “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please, I’m sorry-” as soon as he saw Garmadon refocus his attention on him.

  
     He hunched his shoulders and flinched when Lord Garmadon approached, expecting to be hit.

  
     Lord Garmadon gently took his son's face in his hands and looked him in the eye.

  
     “It's alright, Lloyd. I’m here.”

  
     And Lloyd wailed, collapsing into his father's arms, overwhelmed by emotion and sobbing freely. Garmadon held him tightly, careful to angle his shoulder away, and let his own smoky tears fall.

  
     His family was so broken and hurting. He’d finally found his son again, but now he worried that he was too late to undo the damage that had already been done.


End file.
